Seed planter



Feb. 22, 1966 E, Y ETAL 3,236,199

SEED PLANTER Filed Dec. 17, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 8 INVENTORS- 6". 1 CHARLES E.GRAY JOHN E MORGAN ANDREW O NEAL Feb. 22, 1966 E, GRAY ETAL 3,236,199

SEED PLANTER Filed Dec. 17, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 226 |94 O 226 (D LH I98 INVENTOR.

CHARLES E. GRAY JOHN F MORGAN BY ANDREW ONE Feb. 22, 1966 c. E. GRAY ETAL SEED PLANTER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 17, 1962 I NVENTOR.

E.GRAY MIORGAN ONE CHARLES JOHN F BY A DREW United States Patent C 3,236,199 SEED PLANTER Charles E. Gray, Tolleson, John F. Morgan, Phoenix, and

Andrew ONeal, Glendale, Ariz., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Union Carbide Corporation, a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 17, 1962, Ser. No. 245,270 1 Claim. (6i. 111-91) This application in a continuation-in-part of our copending application, Serial No. 210,957, for Seed Planter, filed July 19, 1962, now United States Patent No. 3,171,- 371.

This invention relates to a seed planter and more particularly to a seed planter capable automatically of planting through plastic mulch covers after such covers have been laid over the upper surface of a seed planting row of soil. Further, the invention relates to a seed planter capable of perforating such plastic mulch covers directly above an area in which the planter subsequently plants a seed and dispenses covering material thereover whereby a plant will grow upward through the covering material and the perforation in the plastic mulch cover made by the planter of the present invention.

Thin plastic film mulch covers, when placed over planting rows of soil, hold moisture therein and tend to maintain a higher temperature in the soil during early seasons whereby germination, plant growth and early crop yields are augmented.

It has heretofore been a problem to plant seeds in the soil below such plastic mulch covers and accurately to provide for the growth of plants from the seeds upwardly through openings in such plastic mulch covers.

Under the foregoing conditions, it has heretofore been necessary manually to plant seeds through such plastic mulch covers by first perforating the cover and piercing the soil, then subsequently dropping a seed in the cavity below the opening in the cover and then pouring a covering material over the seed to enclose it in the soil directly below the opening in the plastic mulch cover.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a seed planter which operates at a high rate longitudinally of plant rows of soil and which automatically perforates plastic mulch covers and pierces cavities in the soil therebelow while dispensing seeds and seed covering material into the pierced cavities in the soil directly below the openings in the plastic mulch cover.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel ground driven self-contained automatic seed planter which is capable of efiiciently planting and covering seeds through conventional plastic mulch cover strips after they have been placed over planting rows of soil.

Another object of the invention is to provide a seed planter having novel mechanism for efficiently piercing plastic mulch covers then subsequently expanding a cavity in soil below the pierced portions of the cover and then subsequently depositing a seed in the bottom of the soil cavity and then covering the seed with material such as granulated vermiculite to enclose the seed in the soil below the opening in the mulch cover.

Another object of the invention is to provide a seed planter having a plurality of soil and mulch cover pierccoordination with a plurality of mulch cover piercing needles actuated in connection with a pair of eccentric plates rotatable in unison to hold the soil piercing needles in substantially vertical disposition.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel seed planter having a plurality of hollow needles provided with hoppers on their upper ends and actuated in connection with a pair of discs eccentrically mounted relative to each other on displaced axes and wherein one of said discs 'ice is a ground-engaging wheel operable to drive both discs in unison to maintain the axes of the soil piercing needles in a substantially vertical plane.

Another object of the invention is to provide a seed planter having novel means for planting seed and covering material, such as granulated vermiculite, through a convention'al plastic mulch cover.

Another object of the invention is to provide a seed planter having a novel seed dispensing mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide a seed planter having a plurality of soil and mulch cover piercing needles together with a seed and seed cover material dispensing means all operated by a ground driven wheel of the planter.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel seed planter having a plurality of seed planting needles adapted to pierce a plastic mulch on the top of the soil; an actuating foot for each of said needles engageable with the upper surface of a plastic mulch and adapted to automatically open each respective needle for dumping seed and covering material into a hole pierced in the soil through said mulch as each planting needle is projected through the mulch and into the soil.

Another object of the invention is to provide a very simple ground driven rotary mechanism which successively projects seed planting needles into the soil and novel ground-engaging foot mechanism for each needle disposed automatically to open it and dump seeds and covering material into the soil when the needle is projected into the ground.

Another object of the invention is to provid a novel seed planter having continuously operable dispensers for seed and covering material which dump seeds and material into hopper means on one side of a disc member whereby the seed and covering materials are automatically fed into hollow needles on opposite sides of the disc whereupon the disc being ground driven successively rotates the needles into a position to pierce the ground; an actuating foot engagable with the ground and disposed automatically to open each of said needles as it pierces the ground to dump seeds and covering material into the opening in the ground formed by the needles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel seed planter having a continuous seed and cover materials receiving hopper means formed in an annular row of pockets having adjacent edges in close proximity to each other so that continuous rotation of said pockets in an annular row below a continuously operable cover materials dispenser permits each pocket to receive a measured amount of covering materials over a seed previously placed in each pocket by a continuously operable seed dispenser of the planter.

Other objects and advantages of the invention may be apparent from the following specification, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the seed planter of the present invention showing portions broken away and in section to facilitate and amplify the illustration;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing portions broken away and in section and showing parts in varying positions by broken lines;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view taken from the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical fragmentary sectional view of the seed cover materials dispenser of the invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 5-5 of FIGURE 1;

FIG. 6'is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 66 of FIG. 2 showing by broken lines relative positions of various elements of the mechanism of the seed planter of the invention during operation thereof;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a plant row of soil with a plastic mulch cover thereover and showing a seed planting needle mechanism of the invention piercing the plastic mulch cover and in position to expand a cavity in the soil and deposit a seed and covering material thereover within the cavity formed by the needle mechanism;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 88 of FIG. 1 showing the seed dispenser mechanism of the invention and its relation to hoppers for receiving seed therefrom and for delivering such seed to the seed planting needle mechanism of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 99 of FIG. 8 showing portions of the seed dispenser mechanism of the invention broken away to amplify the illustration;

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of a modified form of a seed planter, in accordance with the present invention, showing a ground driven rotary mechanism having ground-engaging feet disposed to open seed planting needles as they are projected into the ground;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 1111 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 12-12 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged sectional view taken from the line 13-13 of FIG. 12; and

FIG. 14 is an enlarged sectional view taken from the line 14-14 of FIG. 11.

As shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, the invention is provided with an attachment frame 10 disposed to be connected with a conventional tool bar of a tractor or other suitable vehicle for towing the seed planter of the invention. Carried by the attachment frame 10 and pivotally mounted thereon by means of bolts 12 and 14 are parallel bars 16 and 18. These bars 16 and 18 may pivot about the horizontal axes of the bolts 12 and 14 and bolts 20 and 22 extending through opposite ends of the parallel bars 16 and 18 pivotally connect the bars 16 and 18 with a planter frame 24.

As shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, it will be seen that this planter frame 24 is provided with a pair of vertical bars 28 connected to opposite sides of a substantially horizontal member 30. The bolts 20 extend through the bars 28 near their upper ends and pivotally connect the parallel bars 16 with the planter frame 24. Likewise, the bolts 22 extend through the lower ends of the bars 28 and pivotally connect the parallel bars 18 therewith.

A T-shaped structure 32 extends from the end of the planter frame 24 and is engageable with the bars 18 when it is desired to pick the planter up and carry it above the surface of the ground in connection with a conventional tool bar carried by a tractor or other vehicle. It will be seen that opposite end portions 34 of the T-shaped structure projects laterally beyond the bars 18 which are directly below the bars 16, as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings.

The frame member of the planter frame 24, as shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings, is substantially boxshaped in cross section structure whereon a tubular shaft holding sleeve 36 is fixed by means of welding or other suitable means. This sleeve 36 is provided with internally screwthreaded bosses or nuts 38 wherein screwthreaded set screws 40 are disposed. These set screws 40 hold a shaft 42 in stationary position on the frame member 30 whereby the shaft 42 is maintained in a substantially axially horizontal position.

Fixed on the shaft 42 by means of a set screw 44 is a bearing sleeve 46 having bearings 48 operating in races and carrying a relatively rotatable bearing sleeve 50. Thus, the bearing sleeve 50 is freely rotatably supported on the shaft 42 and carries a disc 52 which rotates about the axis of the shaft 42.

Bolts 54 are screwthreaded into a flange 56 of the bearing sleeve 50 and these bolts 54 also support a sprocket 57 in connection with the plate 52 and the bearing sleeve 50, all as shown best in FIG. 5 of the drawings.

Supported in a transverse opening 58 in the shaft 42 by means of a set screw 60 is a bearing supporting shank 62. This bearing supporting shank 62 is provided with a cylindrical bearing sleeve 64 in which a bearing block 66 is rotatably mounted.

A bolt 68 extending through a central opening 70 in a ground driven disc 72 pivotally connects this disc 72 with the bearing block 66 so that the disc 72 is rotatable about the axis of the bolt 68 which is axially parallel with the shaft 42 but displaced laterally therefrom so that the discs 52 and 72 are eccentric to each other, all as shown best in FIGS. 1 and 5 of the drawings. The disc 72, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, is provided with a flat peripheral rim 74 having an outer surface 76 engageable with the ground A, as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, for driving the mechanism of the planter of the invention, as will be hereinafter described in detail. As shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings, it will be seen that a peripheral portion 78 of the disc 52 is disposed above the ground-engaging periphery 76 of the disc 72. A plurality of seed planting needle mechanisms '79 are mounted between the discs 52 and 72, as will be hereinafter described in detail in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

Each of the seed planting needle mechanisms 79 is provided with a supporting bearing sleeve 80 pivotally mounted on the disc 52 by means of a bolt 82 which extends through an opening in the plate 52. Connected to each bearing sleeve 80 is a transverse holding sleeve 84 through which a shank 86 extends. Each shank 86 is vertically movable in its holding sleeve 84 and a set screw 88 in each holding sleeve 84 is disposed to clamp each shank 86 in a vertically adjusted position, as will be hereinafter described.

A bearing sleeve 90 is fixed to the normally lower end of each shank 86 and this sleeve 90 is similar to the hearing sleeve 64 of the shank 62, hereinbefore described and disclosed in FIG. 5 of the drawings. A bolt 92, as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, is connected to a bearing block 94 similar to the bearing block 66 hereinbefore described in connection with FIG. 5 of the drawings. Thus, each bearing block 94 is pivotally connected by means of a bolt 92 to the disc 72 and the axial spacing of the bolts 82 and 92 substantially equals the axial spacing of the bolts 68 and shaft 42, shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings. Thus, rotation of the disc 72 about the axis of the bolt 68 causes the disc 52 to rotate about the axis of the shaft 42 whereupon each shank 86 is constantly maintained in substantially vertical position, as indicated in FIG. 6 of the drawings. It will be seen that the bearing sleeves 80 and 90 may be maintained in substantially vertical superimposed relationship wherein an imaginary line B may pass vertically thrrough the axes of the bearing sleeves 80 and 90 while a soil piercing needle 95 fixed to the bearing sleeve 80 will also be maintained in substantially axially vertical disposition, as indicated by broken line C, in FIG. 6 of the drawings.

Each soil piercing needle 95 comprises a hollow tubular member 96 having an upper open end 98 communicating with a fan-shaped funnel 100 having an upper open end 102. Each soil piercing needle 95 is provided with a beveled and sharpened lower end 104 having a side wall portion 106 cut away forming a slot in which a needle bar 188 is disposed. This needle bar 108 is provided with a sharpened beveled lower end 110 projecting slightly below the beveled end portion 104 of the tubular needle member 95. The needle bar 108 is pivotally mounted on a pin 112 carried by a bracket 114 welded or otherwise secured to the outer side of the hollow needle member 95 above the cut out or slotted portion 106. A spring 116 is disposed between the hollow tubular needle member 95 and the upper end of the needle bar 108 above the axis of the pin 112 thereby tending to hold the lower end of the needle bar 108 in the open or slotted side wall portion 106 of the hollow tubular needle member 95 in order to retain a seed D therein until the needle bar 108 is pivoted outward to a broken line position E, as will be hereinafter described in detail. A curved cam member 118 is disposed adjacent each bearing sleeve 80 and is fixed on the disc 52 so that an upper end portion 120 of each needle bar 108 engages one of the cam members 118 when each planting needle assembly passes into a position, as shown in FIG. 6, wherein the soil planting needle assembly 79, at its hollow needle portion 95, assumes an axial aligned position C. At this time, the beveled end portions 104 and 110 of the tubular member 95 and the needle bar 108 are projected a considerable distance into the soil as shown best in FIG. 1 of the drawings, and also in FIG. 7 of the drawings. At this time, the portion 120 of each needle bar 108 engages a respective cam 118 and causes spreading of the needle bar 108 to the broken line position E. This being occasioned by rotation of the discs 52 and 72 in the direction of the arrows F, as shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 6 and 7 of the drawings, it will be seen that when the planter of the invention is drawn forward in the direction of the arrow G, that the periphery of the disc 72 rolls on the soil A thereby rotating the disc 72 about the axis of the bolt 68 and correspondingly rotating the disc 52 about the axis of the shaft 42 due to connections provided by the bolts 82 and 92 holding the bearing sleeves 80 and 90, as hereinbefore described. Thus, all of the planting needle assemblies 79 are maintained parallel with each other and in a substantially vertical disposition so that their hoppers 100 are held upwardly and so that the soil piercing needle assemblies, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7 of the drawings, are directed downwardly.

When a planting row of soil is covered by a plastic mulch cover as shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings, the end 110 of each needle bar 108 initially pierces the cover before entering the soil.

The mulch cover H, shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings, may be a carbon impregnated polyethylene film or any other suitable thin material which is not part of the present invention but which is a conventional soil mulch cover.

Means of the present invention is provided to dispense seeds and seed covering materials into the hollow tubular needle members 95 via their hoppers 100.

Generally, this mechanism includes a seed dispenser 122 and a cover materials dispenser 124.

These dispensers are driven in coordination with the rotation of the discs 52 and 72 by means of the sprocket 57, shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings.

A chain 126 engages this sprocket 57 and passes over a sprocket 128 on a shaft 130 of the seed dispenser 122. The chain 126 also engages a sprocket 132 on a shaft 134 of the seed cover materials dispenser 124.

An idler sprocket 136 supports the chain 126 between the sprockets 128 and 132, all as shown best in FIG. 1 of the drawings. Thus, the chain 126 is an endless chain engaging the sprockets 57, 128, 132 and 136. The sprockets 57, 128 and 132 are preferably all the same size so that the disc 52 and shafts 130 and 134 all rotate at the same number of revolutions per minute.

Accordingly, as shown, there are a plurality of seed planting needle assemblies 79 which correspond in number with the number of seed dispensing pockets 138 in the seed dispenser 122, said number of seed planting needle assemblies 79 also corresponding with the number of seed materials cover dispensing pockets 140 in the seed materials cover dispenser 124, all as will be hereinafter described. Thus, in operation, as each hopper 100 passes under an outlet tube 142 of the seed dispenser 122, a seed is dropped in the respective hopper 100 whereupon the seed gravitates to the position D shown in FIGS. 2

and 7 of the drawings. Subsequently, as this hopper rotates to a position beneath the seed cover materials dispenser 124, cover materials, such as granulated vermiculite, are dispensed from one of the pockets on top of the seed D in the positions shown in FIGS. 2 and 7 of the drawings, all of this being coordinated by connection with the driving chain 126 which receives its motive 'force from frictional engagement of the periphery of the disc 72 with the ground A, all as hereinbefore described.

The seed dispenser 122, as shown in FIGS. 1, 8 and 9 of the drawings, is mounted substantially above the disc 52 and is provided with a seed containing hopper 143 which dispenses seeds downwardly into a chamber 144 of a dispenser housing 146. This chamber 144 at 148 communicates with a lower portion 150 of a seed dispenser disc having seed carrying pockets 138 therein. These pockets consist of openings passing through the disc and communicating with seeds in the lower portion of the chamber 148 below the rotating axis of the disc 150 and shaft 130. The axes of the openings are disposed at an acute angle to the axis of the shaft 130 and are disposed to register with a corresponding angular opening 152 so that the lower portions of a respective pocket 138 and the dispenser opening 152 are inclined downwardly in a direction toward the dispenser tube 142. Since the pockets 138 are open on both sides of the disc 150, only a predetermined number of seeds or a seed of a certain size may be carried in the pocket 138 due to the fact that additional or excess seeds will drop out of the respective pocket 138 in a direction as indicated by an arrow K, in FIG. 8 of the drawings, said seeds which drop out of the pockets 138 as they register with the dispenser opening 152 fall downwardly into the lower cavity portion 148 so that they may subsequently be picked up by another of the pockets 138.

Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the disc 150, when driven by the shaft 130 causes one of the pockets 138 to register with the dispensing opening 152 each time one of the funnels 100 passes under the dispenser tube 142. The downwardly and outwardly declined disposition of the bottom portions of the pockets 138 and the dispenser opening 152 permits each seed or seeds carried by the pockets 138 to be effected by gravity so that they pass int the dispenser tube 142 and inasmuch as the disc 150 operates at very low speed, seeds have suflicient time to be relieved from each pocket 138 during their registry with the dispenser opening 152.

To insure movement of seeds from each pocket 138 as it registers with the dispensing opening 152, a stationarily mounted seed agitator 154 is pivotally mounted on a pin 156 and provided with an arm portion 158 hanging in a peripheral slot 160 in the disc 150. A counterweight portion 162 of the seed agitator 154 maintains the end portion 158 thereof in the slot 160 so that each seed in each pocket 138 engages the arm 158 and thus, the seed is caused to be removed from the respective pocket 138 and to fall through the dispenser opening 152 into the dispenser tube 142. As shown in FIG. 9 of the drawings, it will be seen that the dispenser opening 152 is considerably larger in cross section than the pockets 138. Thus, providing suflicient time, during rotation of the disc 150 relative to the dispenser opening 152, for seeds to fall from each pocket 138 through the opening 152 into the dispenser tube 142 and into the open end 102 of each hopper 100 as it passes thereunder.

The seed cover materials dispenser 124 driven by the chain 126 and sprocket 132 is provided with a rotor 164 mounted on the shaft 134 and rotatable in a housing 166. Communicating with the upper end of the housing 166 through a tube 168 is a hopper 170 in which seed covering materials are disposed. These seed covering materials may be vermiculite or any other equivalent material which may be used to cover seeds and which may have 7 non-caking advantages or which may include various seed nutrients or other useful materials, as desired.

The seed covering materials pass downwardly through the tube 168 and into the pockets 140 and these pockets 140 dispense batches of materials intermittently through an outlet 172; each pocket 140 delivering an individual batch of seed covering materials to each hopper 100 as it passes thereunder subsequent to the receiving of a seed from the seed dispenser 122.

As indicated by arrows M, in FIG. 1 of the drawings, each hopper 100 passes under the seed dispenser tube 142 before it passes under the tube 172 of the seed cover materials dispenser 124.

According to the foregoing, it will be seen that the seed planter of the present invention is capable of being operated longitudinally of a plant row of soil covered by a conventional plastic mulch soil cover. During the traverse of the seed planter of the invention over the cover H, as shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings, and in a direction as indicated by the arrow G, in FIG. 1 of the drawings, the disc 72 is rotated by engagement of its rim 74 with the ground and as hereinbefore described the disc 52 is rotated on an axis laterally displaced from the axis of the disc 72 whereupon the seed planting needle assemblies 79 and each respective hopper 1.00 are all maintained in a substantially vertical plane as they successively pass under the seed dispenser 1 22 and the seed cover materials dispenser 124.

As each needle assembly 79 approaches the ground, the sharp end portion 110 of the needle bar 108 of each assembly 79 pierces the plastic cover H whereupon the upper end of each needle bar 108 is actuated by a cam 118 thereby spreading the needle bar 108 to the broken line position shown in FIG. 2, permitting the seed D to pass downwardly into the cavity in the soil punched by the needle assembly 79 whereupon the seed covering materials, directly above the seed D and in the tubular structure of the needle member 95, fills the opening in the soil and covers the seed D so that the seed may subsequently grow up through the seed covering materials and outwardly through the opening as indicated at P, in FIG. 7 of the drawings. Accordingly, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that seeds may be precisely planted in the ground below an opening punched therein and that the seeds may be successively and automatically planted in precisely spaced relationship in accordance with spacing of the seed planting needle assembly 79 as they are subsequently rotated and forced into the ground through the plastic mulch cover H.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the seed planter of the present invention may have particular advantages in the planting of various seeds under various conditions and that the use of the present seed planter is not limited to the planting of seeds through a plastic mulch cover H since this seed planter will operate in bare soil equally as well as it does through a plastic mulch cover, as described herein.

In the modification, as shown in FIG. of the drawings, a rotary ground driven mechanism 180 is provided with a disc 182 having a flanged annular tire 184 adapted to engage the surface 186 of the ground, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 12 of the drawings, all as will be hereinafter described. Thus, the rotary mechanism 180 is preferably ground driven and preferably driven at a comparable speed.

The rotary mechanism is rotatably mounted on a shaft 188 carried by bearings 190 on horizontal frame means 192.

Mounted on one side of the disc 182 are a plurality of seed and cover materials receiving cups 194. These cups are of a general cross-sectional shape, as shown in FIG. 11 of the drawings, and each cup is provided with a leading edge 196 and a trailing edge 198. Each trailing edge 198 is contiguous with a leading edge 196 of a respective adjacent cup 194. These edges 196 and 198,

being close together, permit the feeding of seed covering materials from a continuously operable dispenser 200 in such a manner that there is a continuous pouring flow of vermiculite or other granulated materials from the dispenser 200, as will be hereinafter described. Thus, with a given rate of rotation of the rotary mechanism 180, which drives the dispenser 200, the vermiculite will flow continuously into each cup 194, as it is disposed thereunder and will flow into the next adjacent cup as it successively passes under the dispenser 200.

Each cup 194 is provided with an offset ledge portion 202 which coincides with an opening 204 in the disc 182. The opening 204 coincides with an opening 206 in a tubular seed planting needle 208. It will be seen that the cross-sectional shape of each of the needles 208 is substantially rectangular, as indicated in FIG. 14.

Each needle 208 is provided with a soil piercing portion 210 which projects beyond the perimeter of the groundengaging rim 184. Each soil piercing end 210 is provided with a curved rearward side 212 which is adapted to rotate out of the soil after the soil has been pierced without substantially disturbing the area around the pierced opening in the soil, as will be hereinafter described.

As shown in FIGS. ll, 12 and 13, each needle 208 at its soil piercing portion 210 and opposite to its curved side 212 is provided with an open side 14 through which seed and covering materials are dispensed, as will be hereinafter described.

A slide valve member 216 is disposed inside each needle 208 and this member 216 is substantially channelshaped in cross section having its closed side disposed to slide internally of the opening 214 and normally to close it. The slide valve 216 is provided with an upper end portion 218 projecting from the normally upper end of the needle-s 208 and connected to this slide valve portion 218 is a laterally extending portion 220 to which a spring 222 is connected. This spring is anchored at 224 to each respective needle 208 and each needle 208 is fixed on the disc 182, as hereinbefore described. The spring 222 thus tends to project the slide valve member 216 into a position A, as shown in FIG. 12 of the drawings, when a respective ground-engaging foot 226 is disengaged from the ground.

Connected to each slide valve 216 by means of the portion 220 hereinbefore described and by means of a pivot pin 228, is a foot supporting leg 230. This leg 230 is slidably mounted through a respective opening in the rim 184. Thus, when the foot 226 is rotated into engagement with the ground or with a plastic mulch cover thereon, the leg 230 is slidably moved upwardly through the respective opening in the rim 184 thereby causing the leg to retract the slide valve member 216 to open the opening 214 of the needle 208 so that when a needle is in the position B, shown in FIG. 12 of the drawings, that the slide valve 216 is retracted to permit the opening portion 214 to dump a seed 234 in the bottom of an opening 236 pierced in the soil !by the needle 208. It being noted that the curved portion 212, when moving upwardly, in the direction of an arrow C, in FIG. 12 of the drawings, substantially coincides with the geometry of the opening punched in the soil thereby tending to create a minimum of disturbance around the opening in the soil as the needle emerges. This is particularly important when a plastic mulch cover 238 is first laid on the top of the soil previous to the penetration of the mulch cover and the soil by the ends of the needles 208. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the terminus of each curved portion 212 with the straight side of each needle structure, provides a point 240 which readily penetrates a plastic mulch cover and also the soil.

The seed planter, according to the modifications, as shown in FIGS. 10 to 14 of the drawings, includes a seed dispenser 122, similar to that hereinbefore described in connection with FIGS. 1, 8, and 9 of the drawings. The

covers materials dispenser 200, as disclosed herein, is provided with a hopper 201 and this hopper 201 is provided with a conventional bell crank actuator 203 operable in the hopper 281 to shake materials down so that the materials can be continuously fed into the pockets 194, as hereinbefore described. The dispenser 200 is a conventional dispenser disposed to provide a continuous feed of granular cover materials, such as vermiculite or other equivalent material, and the direction of rotation, as indicated by an arrow D, in FIG. 10 of the drawings, is such that the pockets 194 pass under the seed dispenser 122 previous to their passage under the cover mate-rials dispenser 200. Thus, each seed dispensed into each of the pockets 194 first passes into the pocket portions 202 following which the cover materials dispensed by the dispenser 200 will gravitate over the seed and the seed will thus enter each of the openings 204 ahead of the cover materials and in this manner the seed will be in the lowermost portion of each needle 208 adjacent the point 240 thereof as it is projected into the ground during rotation of the disc 184 in the direction of the arrow D, as shown in FIG. 12 of the drawings.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 12 of the drawings, each ground-engaging foot 226 engages the soil after each respective needle 288 at its point 240 has pierced the plastic mulch cover 238 and has been fully projected into the ground to create a cavity 236, whereupon subsequent engagement of each foot 226 with the upper surface of the mulch cover 238 causes the slide valve 216 to :be projected upwardly, as hereinbefore described, exposing or opening the open side 214 of each needle 208 and permitting the seed 234 to gravitate into the bottom of the opening 236 and permitting the granulated vermiculite 242 to cover the seed 234 as the curved side 212 of each needle 208 rotates upwardly and outwardly of the opening 236 with a minimum of soil disturbance and of the edges of the plastic mulch cover 238.

It will be appreciated that the modification of the invention shown in FIGS. 10 to 14 of the drawings, differs substantially from that previously described in that the soil piercing and planting needles are all actuated by feet which engage the ground and open the needles to dispense the seed and the covering materials concurrently with the disposition of these needles in the holes in the ground pierced thereby. The structure disclosed in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings employs cam means for opening the needles, said cam means being actuated by rotation of the rotary mechanism and not by any means engageable with the ground. Thus, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that needles may be operated either by cam mechanism of the rotary elements of the machine or the needles may be opened by means engageable directly with the ground, as disclosed in FIGS. 11 and 12 of the drawings.

In accordance with the present invention, the planting and covering of seeds is done automatically by means dispensing the seeds and. the cover materials, respectively, and in that order, into hollow needles which are projected into the ground to dispose the seeds in a pierced openng in the ground and to deposit the covering materials thereover.

This is particularly advantageous when planting through a plastic mulch cover and has other advantages in that the character of the covering materials, such as granulated vermiculite, may enhance the germination of the seeds as well as prevent packing or caking above the seeds, thus permitting the tender shoots eminating from the seeds readily to move upwardly to the surface of the ground and through the opening pierced in the plastic mulch cover. This non-caking material, such as granulated vermiculite, is thus a very important factor in the early growth of plants from seeds which have been planted in the soil below a plastic mulch cover. The vermiculite also provides for a non-packing area which substantially guides the growth of the tender shoots eminating from the seeds so that they grow directly through the opening in the mulch cover and do not become lost beneath the enclosed surface of the cover.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications of the present invention may be resorted to in a manner limited only by a just interpretation of the following claim.

We claim:

In a seed planter the combination of: a frame; a rotary means rotatably mounted on said frame and having a peripheral portion operable adjacent the surface of the ground; a plurality of soil piercing needles projecting from said peripheral portion; cavity means in said needles adapted to be opened adjacent the ends thereof by a channel-shaped slide member disposed within each of said soil piercing needles; means for opening said needles disposed within said rotary means and comprising a plurality of actuator members, one for each of said needles, projecting beyond said periphery and engageable with the ground in proximity of said needles whereby as the needles are projected into the ground, the ground engaging members are ground operated and open said cavity means of said needles to dispense seeds and seed covering materials provided therein into cavities in the soil pierced by said needles; seed and cover materials pockets on said rotary member communicating with the cavities in said needles; and seed and cover materials dispensers disposed to dispense seeds and cover materials in said pockets; each of said pockets communicating with a respective cavity in a respective soil piercing needle; adjacent edges of said pockets contiguous to form a continuous feed mechanism for continuously receiving covering materials as said rotary mechanism rotates.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 169,041 10/1875 Rittenhouse et al. 11190 279,221 6/ 1883 Carr 11180 X 1,474,599 11/ 1923 Martin 11177 1,908,255 5/1933 Kaupke. 2,168,855 8/1939 Aspenes 11190 2,440,846 5/ 1948 Cannon 111-77 2,486,462 11/ 1949 Carelock 1l1-89 X 2,626,578 1/1953 Morine 111-3 2,727,476 12/ 1955 Jones Ill-91 2,909,869 10/ 1959 Dresser 4758 FOREIGN PATENTS 69,907 9/ 1949 Denmark. 393,445 4/ 1924 Germany.

OTHER REFERENCES Page 23, 1930, The Miracle of Mulch Paper, International Paper Company, New York.

ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primary Examiner.

T. GRAHAM CRAVER, WILLIAM A. SMITH III,

Examiners. 

